


The stars will be proof

by Sapphirzxs



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Issues, Family Secrets, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Forbidden Love, Love, Love Confessions, Love at First Sight, True Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-18 15:06:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29735700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphirzxs/pseuds/Sapphirzxs
Summary: Oikawa Tooru is an influent and important noble gentleman, who is part of the upper class of the Japanese society.However, "gentleman" wouldn’t be the first word that Elleanor’s father would use to describe him. In fact, Mr. Kikumoto would gladly use a set of other less appropriate names to call him.Never would he have imagined that his precious and only daughter would fall in love with the man he despises so much.Will this forbidden love endure all the difficulties or will Elleanor languish in a forced married that would make them both miserable?
Relationships: Oikawa Tooru/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	1. His mysterious look

“Lady Elleanor, you need to get ready!”

The Kikumoto household was ecstatic. Today was going to be held a ball at the Iwaizumi’s manor to celebrate Hajime’s twenty-first birthday. They were one of the wealthiest families across Japan, as well as the owners of a great deal of the most important international businesses.

The most powerful families from Tokyo would attend the party to congratulate the young man, however, for most of them that was a pure excuse to establish contacts to help expand their business. To several others, social gatherings like these were the perfect opportunity to find a suitable partner for their daughters.

Neither of those applied to Elleanor. Her father, Mr. Kikumoto, wouldn’t be able to be at the ball since he had broken a leg the week before. Plus, it wasn’t like he desperately needed to find business partners, as his fortune was one of the biggest in the country. She didn’t need to find a potential husband either, since her engagement would be announced sooner or later.

Elleanor had come to terms with having an arranged marriage. As any young girl, she dreamt of marrying for love, to find a man who would sweep her off her feet and have a relationship based on love instead of mutual benefit. She would trade all the money she had to find a love like that.

In her head, she couldn’t really complain though. Even though women could refuse to marry someone and choose her partner instead, arranged marriages were still very common. Her father could easily have forced her to marry a total stranger, but she was lucky enough to get engaged to her best friend, Kuroo Tetsurou. They had grown up together, so they had a relationship based on trust and affection. Plus, he was the heir of a beautiful fortune, something that pleased her father a lot. It was more than she ever though she would have.

More than anything, she wished to be in love with him but, truth be told, she never saw Kuroo as more than a brother figure. All Elleanor could hope was that she would learn to love him as a man once they got married.

So why was she going to the party then?

Freedom!

Just to have one night where she could feel partially free from all her father’s strict rules. Just so that she could remember what dancing was like and to know what it felt like to be surrounded by people again. Besides Kuroo and her best friend, Mika Yamaka, she rarely had visits. Parties and gatherings like these were her escapism.

“I’m trying, Nana!” Elleanor laughed while trying to finish buttoning up her dress. Nana was her lady’s maid. She had been beside Elleanor all her life, so she had a special affection for the old lady. Nana still looked the same way she did seventeen years ago: a sweet and beautiful old woman.

When she was little, Elleanor couldn’t say her name, so she called her Nana instead. That woman loved Elleanor as her own grandchild and her heart fluttered every time the girl called her that way.

When Nana opened the door of her lady’s quarters, she came across the young girl struggling with the white lace she was supposed to tighten around her waist.

“How many times do I have to tell you to call me whenever you need help getting ready, little miss?” There was a hint of scolding in her concerned words.

“Please, Nana! I am perfectly capable of tightening a lace. There is no need to call you. You have lots of work as it is!” the girl laughed.

The old servant ignored her words and helped Elleanor getting ready.

When she finished, Elleanor looked like an angel, prettier than she already was.

Her light brown curly hair was stuck in an elaborate bun with two braids that ran on both sides of her head, ending in the low bun. Her curtain bangs had been slightly straightened, with the tips ending in a curl. The baby blue dress that she was wearing was lose enough to not be provocative but still complimented her curves really well. It had an off- shoulder cleavage and the tight sleeves went down to the elbows. She was also wearing matching earrings, necklace and bracelet: all of them were simple, with tiny white diamonds here and there.

All her outfit screamed purity and elegance.

“You are so beautiful, my dear. Nobody will be able to take their eyes off you tonight!” Nanna said, pride and joy printed all over her face.

“You are exaggerating, Nanna” Elleanor laughed. She truly didn’t care if others thought she was the prettiest in the room or not, but when she looked at the mirror, she felt stunning.

“Elleanor, we are going to be late” someone else screamed from downstairs. It was her mother.

Before running down the stairs, Elleanor placed a little kiss in Nana’s cheek and thanked her for her help, which made the old lady smile with joy. Once she got to the end of the staircase, she saw her mother, beautiful as ever, in a burgundy gown and wearing a big gold necklace with a ruby that seemed way too heavy to carry.

“You look gorgeous, my love” the elegant woman complimented.

“Not as magnificent as you, mother. I wish I could be half as beautiful one day.” Elleanor said while holding her mother’s hand.

“You already are, dear. You just haven’t realized it yet.” She said while playfully touching her daughter’s nose.

The travel to the Iwaizumi’s mansion didn’t take long. There were fancy carriages everywhere with families elegantly dressed for the occasion, most of them to just show off how much money they were able to spend in clothing.

As Elleanor and her mother entered the ballroom, a few eyes fell on them. Some of them were admiring Mrs. Kikumoto, who, as always, captivated everyone with her grace and excellent taste in fashion, but most of them were looking at Elleanor. You could say that it was because of her beauty, most of them were but, to some of them, it was mainly because it was their first time seeing Mr. Kikumoto’s daughter. Since she was seventeen, Elleanor had not yet attended many social events. The people who had, in fact, seen her before, were close with her father and had been invited to some parties and dinners at their house.

She wasn’t the type to feel nervous when stared at. In her life it was something recurring and natural, but today there was something different. She couldn’t quite describe it, she just… felt a different intensity in someone else’s stare.

As she discreetly looked around to find the pair of eyes that made her feel so self-conscious, she found a pair of arms waving excitedly at her instead. It was Mika, with Daishou by her side, both of them smiling at Elleanor.

She waved back, making them know that she had spotted them and would go to them as soon as she could.

When she was about to tell her mother that she would go meet Mika, Mr. Iwaizumi, Hajime’s father, came to greet them.

“Felicity! What a pleasure to see you tonight! How is your husband?” he said. Mr. Iwaizumi had a deep voice and was a well-built man. His appearance could make anyone feel a hint of fear, but he was actually a really tender person to the ones he cared about.

“Unfortunately, he has broken a leg and wasn’t able to come, but he wishes the best to your son and intends to make it up to you! Don’t be surprised if you receive an invitation to get dinner at our house.” She laughed in a polite way.

“We would love to go then.” The man quickly noticed the young girl next to Felicity. “That’s your daughter? She is a woman now! The last time I saw her she was still learning how to write!”

Elleanor smiled shyly. She didn’t really recognize the man in front of her, but she would make her best to pretend she did. The last thing she wanted was to upset the host of the ball.

“It is a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Iwaizumi.” She said as she bowed.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you to, dear.” Then he looked again to Felicity. “Your daughter is lovely. I would stay a little longer with you, but as the host of the party, I am very busy tonight. Make sure you enjoy yourselves.”

Mr. Iwaizumi left and they were both alone again. That was when Elleanor took the opportunity to inform her mother that she would go to Mika and spend some time with her, to which Felicity agreed.

She didn’t take long to find her friend again. Mika was still next to her husband, Suguru Daishou.

Mika was two years older than Elleanor. Their parents were business partners and incredibly close, so they would spend a lot of time in each other’s houses until last year, when Mika and Daishou got married. Now she would often invite Elleanor to her own house, which was ten times better than having to act all polite in a room full of adults.

“Ella! You look absolutely gorgeous! I might steal some dresses from your closet.” Mika was glowing in a salmon dress with a sweetheart neckline. It was slightly tight to her body which made her look incredibly sexy.

“You are one to talk! You look stunning. You are really lucky, Daishou!”

“I know! She is the most beautiful woman in the entire room to me.” He said with a bright smile, placing a gentle kiss in Mika’s cheek. “But I have to agree with her, you look beautiful, Elleanor.”

“Thank you!”

Then the same feeling ran down her spine. Elleanor looked around, all her body insanely impatient to find the one who made her feel that way.

She found him when she looked across the room. A pair of mesmerizing brown eyes that haven’t left her since she entered the room. They belonged to a tall young man with also brown hair, who was impeccably dressed in a black suit, with an emerald green vest inside of it and a white shirt. He easily stood out from the rest of the men in the room. Even with a suit on, you could see that he was strong and had a great body. He was with a group of friends, laughing and talking, but he would always make sure to not lose sight of her.

When their eyes met, Elleanor felt butterflies in her stomach. She had caught a lot of men staring at her in many different ways, but this man’s look in particular, the intensity and the feelings that his eyes conveyed…something felt entirely different. It made her feel warm, nervous but at the same time excited, with an urge to stop staring but at the same time not wanting to look at anything else ever again besides him.

“Mika, be discreet. Who is that man behind you?” Elleanor asked, with her heart beating like crazy.

Both Mika and Daishou looked behind them as carefully as they could. “The one with a green vest?” Mika asked.

“Yes…”

“Tooru Oikawa” Daishou said still looking towards the man. Then he looked again at Elleanor. “I’m quite surprised that you’ve never heard of him. He is probably one of the wealthiest men in this room. You could think that he just inherited his family’s fortune, but it is more than that. He is incredibly sharp and intelligent when it comes to business. In the previous year, he almost doubled the profit of the companies that belonged to his father. To say that he enriched only a few millions would be an understatement. Not to mention that he is single, so you can only imagine the number of women that are trying to steal his heart. He is extremely intimidating to be honest, and he is only twenty-one, just like me.”

Elleanor wasn’t expecting to hear that at all. She couldn’t help but look towards him with admiration. He was handsome, young and, apparently, incredibly smart. Being so young and achieving such things that not many are able to accomplish in their entire lives was something to be admired. It only made her interest in him grow. She didn’t care about his money. There were lots of men just as rich, with less credit for it and with the worst personalities that you could imagine. He could live a comfortable life just by taking advantage of the fortune that he had inherited, but he chose to work with what he had instead. That alone said a lot about someone.

“He’s with Hajime. We should just take the opportunity to congratulate him. It would be rude to not greet the reason of this ball.” Mika said excited. Then she looked at Elleanor with a mischievous smile. “That way you’ll also be able to meet the man who captivates you so much.”

“S-Stop spouting nonsense.” Elleanor’s cheeks were red like there was no tomorrow. What Mika said was true but admitting it would be more than embarrassing.

When she calmed down, Daishou took them to meet the birthday boy, who happened to be quite close with him.

“Is this the man of the night?” Daishou said to Iwaizumi, who, as soon as he saw his friend, gave him a big smile.

“Daishou! I’m so glad that you were able to come!” Iwaizumi pulled him in for a tight hug.

“Happy Birthday, Hajime” he laughed, not wanting to admit that his friend’s strength had took him by surprise. When Iwaizumi let him go, he proceeded to introduce the women that were next to him.

“I believe you still remember Mika, my wife!” He put his arm around her waist.

“Of course, I do! It is great to see you again, Mika! Or shall I say, Mrs. Daishou. I admire you for still being able to put up with this guy here.”

Mika laughed. “Happy Birthday, Iwaizumi. Sometimes even I am surprised with myself, but what can I say! He makes it worth it.”

After giving a quick and sweet peck in Mika’s lips, Daishou finally introduced Elleanor. “And this is Lady Elleanor Kikumoto”

“Happy Birthday, Mr. Iwaizumi.” She said bowing slightly.

“You can just call me Hajime. I believe we’ve already met when we were younger. I’m ashamed to admit that I wouldn’t be able to recognize you if we haven’t been introduced. Some years have passed since then and my memory is not the best.” He laughed.

“Don’t be.” Elleanor laughed with him. “I’m actually relieved because I’m in the same situation. It even takes a weight off my chest.”

“Then, let’s just make sure we remember our next encounters from now on.” Iwaizumi said. He was incredibly similar to his father. Both exhaled the same confidence.

“It’s a promise!” she agreed.

Hajime looked to the man next to him, who had been quiet until now. “This man right here is my best friend, Tooru Oikawa.”

His eyes haven’t left Elleanor the entire conversation. Now that she was closer to him, he was able to admire her beauty even better and with greater attention. This did not go unnoticed to Elleanor, who whenever she could, would glance towards him, so that she could memorize all the little details of his face, to never forget them again.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Daishou. You sure make a beautiful couple!” he said with a polite smile on his face, bending his head in a way to show them respect. Then he turned to Elleanor and his expression softened a bit, as a more sincere smile formed in his lips. “And it is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Elleanor.” He proceeded to gently take her hand, placing a kind kiss on its back.

Elleanor blushed at the gesture. “The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Oikawa.”

“Please, just call me Tooru.” He was still holding her hand. His long fingers felt warm against her skin. “Would it be hasty on my part to ask you to dance with me?” His eyes gained a soft glow that made her heart beat ten times faster.

That took Elleanor by surprise! Would it be wrong of her to accept? She was practically engaged and she barely knew the man in front of her. On the other hand, all her body ached to be with him a little longer and “practically” wasn’t the same as officially. Nobody would recriminate her for doing so. “W-Well… I-I…”

“She would love to!” Mika said in her behalf. Elleanor looked towards her. Mika was one of the few people that knew that she would be engaged to Kuroo and she still encouraged her to dance with the mysterious man in front of her. What was Mika thinking?

Oikawa laughed, amused with their reaction. “I appreciate your answer, but unless the stunning lady in front of me accepts it herself, I won’t be forcing her to do anything.”

The kind smile that Oikawa gave her, as well as melting her heart, made her forget all her worries. “It will be a pleasure to dance with you, sir.”

The man’s smile grew ten times bigger after hearing her response. He looked at Iwaizumi, Daishou and Mika. “Then, if you excuse us.”

As they started walking towards the center of the room, Elleanor put her hand on his arm, since people could misunderstand and misjudge the situation, especially her mother, if they crossed the room hand in hand.

Once they got there, Oikawa bended his torso and offered Elleanor his hand, with the brightest and most beautiful smile she had ever seen. “Will you grant me this dance, my lady?”

“I will, sir.” The smile she had on her face as just as big as his when she placed her hand on his.

Oikawa proceeded to put one arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him, but still leaving a respectable space between them while holding her other hand in the air. As for Elleanor, she only now started to realize how tall this man was, with the top of her head barely touching the base of his chin. When she put her free hand in Oikawa’s shoulder they started to dance to the sound of the music.

“You have a beautiful name! It isn’t Japanese, is it?” he asked.

“No, it isn’t. Neither is my mother’s. She was born and raised in London. My father met her there in a business trip, they fell in love and she came to Japan with him. She was the one who named me, so I think that it explains it all! And… thank you… for the compliment.”

“I intend to give you many more until the end of our dance, lady Elleanor.” The smirk that formed on his lips, made him look more attractive than he already was.

Elleanor’s heart started beating fast and she felt her cheeks grow red, something she tried to hide by lowering her head. It was unsuccessful, however, since Oikawa could perfectly see the tips of her ears, as they gained a pinkish coloration. “Y-You can just call me Elleanor.”

The man hesitated before speaking again. “I hope I’m not being indelicate, but are you perhaps engaged or something of the sort? It isn’t my intention to exceed any limits.”

“…That’s a complicated question… Officially? No. However, it is my father’s wish that I’ll be in some weeks.”

“Oh… and is your soon-to-be fiancé lucky enough to be the owner of your love and affection?” he asked with less confidence in his voice.

“That’s a rather personal question, Mr. Oikawa.” When their eyes met, she saw a sweet reprimand in his eyes. “I mean… Tooru.” She smiled. “But, to answer your question… he is, indeed, very dear to me…” The man’s body tensed after hearing those words, something Elleanor sensed, as his hand gripped hers a little tighter. “However…” She made him look deep in her eyes. Tooru’s gaze showed an urgency, which he tried to hide, in hearing a contradiction to the phrase he had previously heard. “… I certainly do not love him as a woman should love a man.”

Elleanor felt Oikawa’s hand relax against hers. Then, he slowly held her closer to his body. “Then, there’s no need for me to restrain myself.”

Now, Elleanor was able to feel his body glued to hers. Never in her entire life, had she sensed such a comforting and delightful aroma coming from someone else. That smell, along with the warmth that his body released, made her feel completely safe, almost as if there was no one else in the room.

“There’s something that I don’t quite understand, however.” Oikawa suddenly said. Elleanor raised her head, that had been closer to his chest than it should in a first dance. Not that he minded. “If you don’t love that man, why are you marrying him? Are you one of those people who don’t really care about the romance in their marriage?” Something told him that it wasn’t the case. Deep down he had already guessed the reason behind it all, but he wanted to hear it from her own mouth.

“No. I am very romantic actually. I couldn’t care less if the one I marry is rich or not. I would give up everything if it meant that I could find true love… but as the only daughter and, therefore, the only heir to my _father’s fortune_ …” the sarcasm was obvious in her voice. “…I can only marry someone he approves. You don’t know how relieved I felt when he didn’t force me to marry an old stranger. At least I’ll be able to marry someone who respects me.” When she realized that she had overshared her personal problems with the man in front of her, Elleanor went quiet and started blushing once again. She was always so reserved, even towards Mika sometimes. Why was it so easy for her to talk with Oikawa?

“Respect isn’t Love.” He stated in a firm but somewhat sad tone.

“I know… What about you? Do you believe in true love?” she asked.

Tooru looked at her, as if pondering an answer. Then he lowered his head enough for his lips to touch her hear. “From this day on, I might.” Their faces were just some inches apart, looking each other in the eyes. Neither of them moved, afraid that the fine line that was now starting to connect them would break.

“Is this something you say to every woman that you dance with? It must do wonders!” She laughed.

“Actually, you were the first one that heard such a thing from me.” It made Elleanor’s heart skip a beat. It wasn’t like she could be sure about it, but she hoped that he was telling the truth.

“You really don’t know who I am?” he questioned.

“Is there something else I should now?” Elleanor was visibly confused. Was she supposed to know?

Tooru looked to something or someone behind her, still keeping their faces close to each other. “Your mother has been looking at us for the past five minutes.” Then he looked back at the girl’s eyes. “She will certainly come to talk with you once the music stops, so I am just going to tell you this: if you still wish to grant me your last dance after hearing what she as to say to you, meet me at the garden once the clock marks eleven. I’ll completely understand if you don’t… Just promise me that you won’t let other people’s opinion ruin your perception of me. I know you are smart enough to take your own conclusions.”

When he finished his sentence, the music stopped. He kissed the back of her hand with such tenderness that she felt her heart melt. “I sincerely hope that I’ll be able to meet you again tonight one last time.” After that, he walked away and Elleanor felt her mother’s hand on her shoulder.

“We need to talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> First of all, I want to thank you for reading my work. This is my first story and it makes me really happy!  
> Second of all, I want to apologise for any grammatical errors that may appear. English is not my first language so, even though I do my best and read my chapters thousands of times before posting them, I can’t guarantee that my work will be perfect.  
> Finally, the MC is 17 years old and Oikawa is 21, but keep in mind that in the past this was quite an acceptable difference (if you’ve read “Pride and Prejudice”, “Gone with the Wind”… you know what I am talking about) so please, don’t see it as something bad.
> 
> See you in the next chapter!


	2. Under the moonlight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Here is the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> I've also made a playlist for the story that you can hear while reading. I choose the musics that I thought represented their relationship better (some of the songs don't make sense now, but they will in the future)!  
> [Spotify playlist "The stars will be proof](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6w8kmOk0e3SiqOLIhLMHEX?si=lKoN11usRo-CZ1MIvS44TQ)

Her mother took her to an empty room so that they could have some privacy.

“What were you doing? Why were you dancing with that man?” Felicity seemed disturbed. She was normally really calm and collected but seeing her daughter dancing with Oikawa was something that she really wasn’t expecting to see tonight.

“What is so wrong about him? He was respectful and kind to me, so just tell me what you have against him, because I know the problem wasn’t me dancing with a random man.”

“His family tricked and stole part of your father’s fortune to the point that they almost left us in misery!” She yelled, trying to calm down right after. “His father and yours were business partners and he stole your father’s participation in their company! The man you were dancing with refused to give back to your father what was rightfully his!” Felicity’s voice had risen in pitch during her speech. Elleanor had never seen her mother like that.

“…but it was his father who acted incorrectly, wasn’t it?” Elleanor didn’t want to believe her mother’s words. She didn’t want to believe that the man who made her feel so safe in his arms was the monster her mother wanted her to believe he was.

“What?” Felicity lowered her voice tone. She wasn’t just angry, she was furious with what she had just heard. “You have the audacity to take his side? For how long have you known that man? Ten minutes maybe? You prefer to believe in him rather than believing in your own blood? What did he tell you?” She had gotten incredibly close to Elleanor, which made her feel afraid of what she could do.

“He didn’t tell me anything! We basically just danced! Believe it or not he actually wanted me to hear your version of the events first!” she said the most confidently she could.

“First? You are not seeing him again, Elleanor! Almost everyone in this ball knows what happened between his family and ours. What will they think if suddenly they see you all intimate with that man? What you did was already unacceptable. You should be ashamed of the way you were acting while dancing with him! You were no better than a little whore, letting him touch you wherever he wanted and being so close with you.”

That took Elleanor off guard. Her mother had never been so harsh on her and she still didn’t understand what she had done that was so wrong. She was trying her best not to cry, but before she realized it, two tears had already fallen of her eyes. “I won’t meet him again if that is so important to you.” The only thing you could hear in Elleanor’s voice was sorrow and disappointment. “When I accepted to dance with him, I didn’t even know who he was, but he didn’t seem capable of doing such things. I also don’t think that we were doing anything indecent. We were just getting to know each other. I’ve never done anything that would justify what you just said to me. If it is anyone’s fault that I was acting like a “little whore”, it’s yours, because you never bothered to tell me who Mr. Oikawa was.” Her mother tried to touch her hand, almost as if she regretted saying those previous words to her daughter, however, Elleanor dodged it. “I will spend the rest of my night with Mika and Daishou, so you don’t have to worry. I just ask you to not come near me until it’s time to go home.” Her mother just nodded with her head, in a way to tell her that she understood and that she would respect her daughter’s wishes. After that, Elleanor wiped the tears that insisted on falling and got out of the room. Then she looked at the clock.

Half past ten.

She had exactly thirty minutes to think of a plan that would allow her to find Oikawa without her mother noticing. Now, more than ever, she needed to hear his side.

She went back to the ballroom and desperately tried to find Mika and Daishou. Without them, she wouldn’t be able to do anything. She found them by the food table and went to them.  
“Mika, I need your help.”

When the clock marked ten minutes to eleven, they put their plan into practice. Daishou told her mother that they would take a walk in the gardens so that she wouldn’t get worried and started searching for Elleanor all over the place. Then, once they got to the gardens, Mika and Daishou went somewhere else, taking this opportunity to spend some time by themselves, while Elleanor searched for Oikawa.

She found him looking at his pocket watch, under an oak tree with the moon illuminating his face.

If someone asked her the definition of “handsome” she would definitely describe Oikawa under the moonlight.

When he rose his head, Oikawa saw Elleanor immediately. His eyes widened for a moment, as if he thought that she was just an illusion. Then, when she started walking in his direction, a beautiful smile formed on his lips. It was hard for him to describe what he was feeling. Relief, happiness, excitement, nervousness… those where all great options, but none of them seemed to fit perfectly… it was something else entirely and all those things at the same time.

“I know that I must have sounded confident, but I didn’t think that you were actually going to come!” His eyes were glowing. He couldn’t hide how glad he was.

“I thought you knew that I was “smart enough to take my own conclusions”.” Elleanor found herself also smiling. She forgot her mother’s awful words, she forgot the ball, she forgot everyone else… The only thing that seemed to matter was him...

“So… you don’t think I’m the heartless monster your family pictures me as?” Oikawa took one step closer to Elleanor and held her right hand, caressing it with his thumb.

“I don’t know if you are… but if there’s something that I know is that you actually made me feel safe in your arms when we were dancing. Maybe my intuition is wrong, maybe it’s just my selfish desire to believe that you are the man that made my heart beat so fast for the first time, but…” She put her left hand over his, which was still holding her right one. “…I think you should at least have a chance to explain your side.”

Oikawa was at loss for words. He was sure that she was going to resent him after hearing her mother. He had already prepared himself to be yelled at and maybe even get slapped. When Elleanor did the exact opposite, he felt in heaven. Not only she wanted to hear his version of the events, but she had also opened her heart to him. She had trusted him enough to be vulnerable. She gave him the power to hurt her, knowing that he wouldn’t dare to do such a thing.

He sat down in the grass with his back resting against the oak trunk. Elleanor followed his actions had sat down by his side with her legs to the side.  
“I don’t expect you to believe me over your mother, bu-”

“With all due respect, Tooru, I’ll be the one deciding that.”

He smiled to himself. “Alright then.” He looked at the sky before continuing. It was full of starts. “I don’t know how it all started, but our fathers were friends… great friends actually. They founded their first company together. At that time, your father didn’t have enough money to invest, but my father didn’t mind. They agreed that mine would have sixty percent of the company, while yours would have the other forty. Once he was able to pay it, my father would give him ten percent and they would be equal partners… Things started to go wrong some years later.” Oikawa’s eyes shifted towards Elleanor’s. “My father noticed that some money was disappearing from the company. At the beginning they were small quantities, but they slowly started to get bigger. He hired a detective to understand what was happening and, not long after, your father miraculously had the money to buy his part of the company. He didn’t accept to give him the ten percent until the issue was resolved and, fortunately, he didn’t, because it turned out that the one stealing money from the company was your father.”

Elleanor couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her father was cold, strict and terrifying, but she thought that at least he was honest. He was also smart, she knew he was. Could he actually be that manipulative?

“There are authentic papers that can prove what I am saying. I can provide them to you if you want. I know that it must be hard to believe without proof.” He said.

“No… I mean, yes, I would like to see them… It’s just that… my mother told me that it was your father who tricked and stole mine!”

“Your father may have lied to her… Maybe she also knows the truth… That’s something only you can discover. But what happened next was something else entirely… My father wanted to solve everything between them, but your father acted like a total idiot and didn’t want to cooperate... So, my father pressed charges against yours and won the case. Mr. Kikumoto would have to give him his part of the company or pay an exorbitant fine. I think you can guess what he chose.”  
“I’m… This is so messed up! I never thought that he would be capable of doing something like that. It’s… really hard to believe that the man you are talking about is my father” She said, almost forgetting that Oikawa was next to her. It all seemed way too much to process.

He was almost feeling guilty for telling her everything this way. “You don’t have to believe anything right now… I know it is a lot.”

Elleanor tried to organize her thoughts. This wasn’t the time to freak out. “…I still don’t understand why he hates you! ”

“Well, that’s because I wasn’t on my best behavior when he came to ask me to give him his part of the company back after my father’s death. He…” Oikawa hesitated. He didn’t know if he should share this with her or not. “…he came to my father’s funeral with the sole purpose of asking me that… I just didn’t punch him in that day because I was mentally drained.”

Elleanor was speechless.

She took his hand and brought it closer to her chest. “I’m genuinely sorry for that! I can’t even think what you must have felt like.”

Oikawa only noticed that he had been furrowing his eyebrows when his expression relaxed after looking at Elleanor. Then, with a soft smile, he put his other hand on her cheek, caressing it gently, and making Elleanor look at him. “It wasn’t your fault, dear.” He chuckled to himself. “It is still hard for me to believe that you are here, next to me. Out of all the people I could have told this to, you, Mr. Kikumoto’s daughter nonetheless… you believe in me. Not many people stayed by my father’s side when this hole fiasco happened. Your father had a reputation, something mine didn’t at the time…”

As she felt his comfortable warmth against her face, Elleanor realized that something was still left unanswered in her mind. “Why me? You could have easily seduced any woman in that room. You knew who I was, so why did you decide to dance with me instead?”

“…I don’t know. When you entered the room, my heart started beating before I could even think straight.” His hand moved from her cheek to her smooth hair. “Once I realized who you were, I tried to hate you, I swear I did. In my head you were just a spoiled princess, probably just as entitled as your father…” He let out a big chuckle. “…but you conquered me even before I heard your voice… Your smile is a more powerful weapon than you may think.” His hand returned to Elleanor’s cheek, while his thumb gently ran through her lips.

“So, it was all because of my beautiful smile?”

“Genuine!” He stated. “There’s a fine line between the two, since the most genuine ones tend to be the prettiest.” Oikawa slowly got closer to Elleanor. “Yours isn’t just beautiful…” He put his other arm around her waist, pulling her closer enough for their bodies to be pressed against each other. “…it was the light that brightened up the whole room.” With the hand that had been resting on Elleanor’s cheek, Oikawa pulled her face closer to his, to the point that they could feel each other’s breath. “A smile can tell you all you need to know about someone.”

“Then I hope I’ll get to see one of your sincere smiles.” As soon as Elleanor finished that sentence, Oikawa’s lips crashed into hers.  
He held her so tenderly, as if he feared that she would break if he held her too tight. It made Elleanor’s heart melt completely. Her hands that had been placed in his chest, found their way to his neck, slightly touching the tips of his brown locks.

She didn’t know if a kiss should feel that good, if her heart should be so overwhelmed or if her heart was right at all!  
She wasn’t supposed to be kissing him. She wasn’t supposed to trust him. She wasn’t supposed to meet him in the first place.  
But she did… Elleanor did everything she wasn’t supposed to and so did Oikawa.  
And now… it was too late for both of them. They wouldn’t be able to ignore their hearts anymore, nor would they even if they could.

Everything felt so incorrectly right in that moment!

When they pulled away, Elleanor was amazed by what she had in front of her. “There it is!” She whispered.

A genuine smile had formed on Oikawa’s lips. It was bright, it was comforting, it was… wonderful and pure. It was the type that would make you forget how to properly breathe.

Oikawa hadn’t smiled like that in a while. Even he was surprised, mainly because of the reason behind that smile.  
“Please, tell me that I was the first to touch your lips.” he begged, as he brought their foreheads together.  
“You were…” Elleanor said, slightly embarrassed.

Those two words were everything that he needed to hear. He held her closer to him, enough for Elleanor to rest her head on his chest while the base of his chin was comfortably placed on top of her head. “Is it too soon to ask you to let me also be the last one to do it?”  
“It is.” She laughed. “…but it wouldn’t be bad if that were to happen.”

When they fell into silence, they heard a romantic song coming from the ballroom.  
“I wanted to dance with you in front of everybody again, but since it isn’t possible…” Oikawa loosened his embrace and offered his hand to Elleanor. “Will you grant me your last dance, Lady Elleanor?"

“I thought you would never ask!” When she placed her hand on top of his, he helped her getting up and, without wasting more time, he put both of his arms around her waist, while Elleanor put hers around his neck. They slowly started swinging to the rhythm of the music looking deep in each other’s eyes.

“Will I be able to see you again after this night?” Elleanor asked.  
“That’s a question that I should be asking.” Oikawa’s hand came back to her cheek and started caressing it. “If it was up to me, I would visit you every day… but clearly that’s not possible.” He gave her a sad smile.

She pondered the situation for a while, before having an idea.  
“Write me! Write me whenever you have time! I’ll find a way to leave the house without my father noticing.”

“Are you sure? The last thing I want is getting you in trouble. I can find another way.” He seemed actually concerned. It made her wonder how bad of an impression he had of her family.

“The worst that can happen if I get caught is hearing a lecture from my mom or not being able to leave the house for some time. It’s nothing that I can’t handle.” This didn’t seem to calm Oikawa down. “But I won’t get caught. I promise!”

He let his head fall on her shoulder, snuggling in the curve of her neck. “Please, keep that promise…”  
She could feel that he was stressed and anxious, so she decided to run her hands through his hair. “I’m no damsel in distress.” She laughed. “I can take care of myself!”

“It’s not you who I am worried about… I mean, it is, but… be careful with your father…” His embrace became tighter as he got closer to her… if that was possible.  
“I will, don’t worry.”

They stayed like this for a while, just trying to enjoy each other’s presence, feeling their heartbeat, keeping their distance to the bare minimum so they could remember that sensation once they got separated again.


	3. A bracelet and a letter

One week passed since the ball.

Elleanor was hoping that she would receive a letter today. Something inside her was sure that she would.

She missed hearing his voice, seeing his face… she would do anything, if it meant that she would be able to be in his arms again.

She felt ridiculous. She had never wished to see someone as she wished to see him. He was living in her head rent free, every day, every hour and every second. She couldn’t help but wonder if he felt the same.

Apparently, her mother didn’t tell her father about Oikawa. She had to admit that she felt incredibly relieved. She would be severely punished if her dad had found out.

“Lady Elleanor, there is someone that wishes to see you!” Nana announced, half-opening her bedroom door.

“I wasn’t expecting visits today! Who is it?” she said, not taking her eyes of the book she was reading.

“I don’t know, but he sure is handsome.” When Elleanor recognized the familiar male voice, she couldn’t contain the smile that was forming on her lips. She turned around just to see him leaning against the edge of the door.

“Kuroo, you came back!” She got up and ran to him, who was already with open arms, ready to give her a tight hug. “I missed you! Why didn’t you warn me that you were coming back from France?”

“Well… I managed to finish everything earlier than expected, so I figured that I could use this opportunity to surprise you.”

Elleanor had missed Kuroo’s playful smirk. He was about two inches taller than Oikawa. His golden eyes were always kind to her and his rebellious black hair gave him a certain charm. His strong arms reflected the heavy physical work that he often put himself through in order to keep himself in shape.

He had served in the army for two years, since he was eighteen until he turned twenty, and he had never lost the habit of working out every day. He would wake up earlier than everybody for that purpose. On top of that, he was an excellent sniper. She had seen him practicing a couple of times and she would always get amazed by his skills. She had never seen him missing a shot. He had inclusively been praised and known in the army because of that.

Now, you must be wondering… why did he go to the army in the first place if he was part of the upper class? His father wasn’t really rich when he had his age, but after getting into the army, he quickly rose to the top of the hierarchy, getting the position of General due to his achievements on the battlefield and his great leadership skills. His brother, Kuroo’s uncle, took advantage of the benefits that his brother’s recent social status had obtained and started to buy shares in companies little by little, until he got money to be able to found his own. Their fortune came from their hard work.

That being said, Kuroo’s father thought that it would be good for him to have the experience of going to the army. That way he would always be “prepared to defeat all the obstacles that life had for him”.

Until now, his theory had proven to be true. Kuroo was feared, yet respected, and he was extremely cautious and good at making decisions, as well as being quick at evaluating situations.

Now, he had taken over his family businesses. In fact, he went to France for a whole month to take care of some problems in one of his companies, which specialized in producing cosmetics.

“I also got you something!” The proud smile on his face was similar to the one that children make when they give something they made to their parents. “Before you say anything, it wasn’t expensive! I know very well that you wouldn’t accept it if that was the case!” He revealed the box he had been hiding behind his back. It was white with a red lace decorating it. “You said that you would love to visit Paris someday to see the museums and the street painters, so I thought that I could bring part of that world to you.”

She gave him a curious look as she carefully opened the delicate box. Once she got rid of the lace and saw what was inside the box, she couldn’t believe her eyes.

“Kuroo…” She took out a painting, that was almost as large as her shoulders. In the painting, she could see the Eiffel tower in the distance, surrounded by beautiful and sophisticated houses, in an evening setting with one of the most beautiful sunsets she had ever seen. The sky had acquired a beautiful mixture of shades of pink, violet, light blue and a beautiful golden coloration. In a closer viewpoint, you could see the bridge D'Léna, beautifully illuminated, with some boats sailing on the River Seine. “It is beautiful. Were you able to see such a wonderful scenery?”

“Yes, I was. Anyone would fall in love with that city. It truly is as magical as they say it is!” He seemed abstracted in the painting, clearly remembering the month he had spent there. “Next time I’ll take you with me.”

Elleanor’s heart clenched after hearing those words. She would have been filled with happiness if he had told her that one week before, but now it only made her feel guilty.

Guilty for having kissed another man.

Guilty for desperately wanting and desiring Oikawa.

And guilty for not feeling those things for Kuroo instead.

“Well, I won’t let you go until you tell me everything you saw and did while you were away.” She tried to get those thoughts out of her head. “Let’s go to the garden!”

“As you wish!” He laughed.

They got out of her room and went down the stairs, talking and laughing, with a happy and almost glowing aura around them. They had missed each other like crazy during the last month.

To Elleanor, Kuroo felt more like home than anyone else.

To Kuroo, Elleanor was little more important than that.

When they were about to reach the door that gave access to the garden, they were interrupted by a man quite familiar to both of them.

“Mr. Kuroo! I didn’t know that you had returned from your trip!” His voice was, as always, cold and harsh, imposing respect on anyone he talked to.

Elleanor’s body tensed and she could feel that Kuroo’s had too. However, neither of them showed fear. That was the stupidest thing that they could do, since it would only show the man that he could do whatever he wanted with them.

It wasn’t that Mr. Kikumoto had ever armed Elleanor in any physical way. It wouldn’t be good for his public image. However, he sure knew how to hurt someone with his words.

“I arrived yesterday. The problem that our company was facing was rather easy to solve.” As expected, Kuroo didn’t stay behind and looked at him with confidence. He was used to talking with intimidating men. He probably had faced worse people in the army.

“I didn’t expect less from the man who is going to marry my daughter.” Mr. Kikumoto gave him a half smile. “You must be very tired.”

“Not at all, sir” Kuroo didn’t smile back. It wasn’t hard to tell that Elleanor’s father wasn’t all that happy with his presence. He tolerated Kuroo, so to say. He had suggested and approved their marriage, but he would have preferred it if his son-in-law was easier to control. Kuroo wasn’t as naive as Mr. Kikumoto thought that he would be, and Kuroo had realised that a long time ago. “I went through worse situations than travelling to a beautiful city.”

“Certainly.” Then, Elleanor’s father stopped talking to him and stared at her instead. “Put a jacket on.” He demanded.

“W-Why? What is wrong with my clothes?” She was wearing a white dress with tiny blue flowers all over the place. It was tight until her waist and then loose until her ankles. It had a square cleavage and sleeves that covered her shoulders.

“You certainly don’t believe that it is adequate to be alone with a man dressed like that, do you?” His expression made her shiver down her spine. Then he looked at Kuroo. “It isn’t my intention to offend you, Kuroo. I am a man. I know how it is.”

“Excuse me?” He was speechless. Kuroo knew how rigorous Elleanor’s father could be, but this wasn’t just being strict. He seemed that he wanted to hurt her somehow. The only thing he didn’t understand was… why? “With all due respect, Mr. Kikumoto, there is nothing wrong with your daughter’s clothes.”

“And with all due respect, Mr. Kuroo, I wasn’t talking to you. Go change clothes Elleanor.” It was clear that Mr. Kikumoto was starting to get angry with the visitor’s attitude.

“…Yes, father.” When Elleanor was about to go to her room, Kuroo grabbed her arm. He couldn’t stand seeing her being so humiliated.

“If Elleanor so desires to cover up, I will gladly give her my jacket...” He took off his black jacket and looked at her. “…but only if she feels comfortable doing so. If she doesn’t want to, I won’t allow her to go upstairs to change either.”

He looked at Elleanor to see what she would do. She was still surprised by his reaction, so she stayed silent for some seconds. She only came back to reality when Kuroo opened the front door and motioned for her to go out with him. She glanced at her father before following Kuroo. He wasn’t only angry, he was furious, however, he disguised it very well.

Before going through the door, Elleanor took Kuroo’s jacket and put it over her shoulders. Truth be told, she didn’t want to cover up. It was way too hot for that, but she knew that her life wouldn’t get easier if she defied her father. She had tried in the past, but he would always make sure to make her regret it deeply.

By now, she had already realised what had happened. **_Her mother had told him about Oikawa_**. Why else would her father be so mean to her in front of somebody else? He needed to be extremely angry to do such a thing. This meant that she had to give in somehow. Most importantly, she couldn’t show him that she knew what was happening. Confronting him about it would indicate that being with Oikawa had meant something to her. She had to pretend that she didn’t even remember it.

Kuroo noticed Elleanor’s fear right away. He had seen it a lot of times before. She was able to hide it incredibly well. If someone else looked at her, they would think that she was quite confident. Kuroo knew that it wasn’t the case. He saw a triumphant smile on Mr. Kikumoto’s face as Elleanor got out of the house with the jacket on top of her. He knew that he had won and was even happier because he got to prove to Kuroo that he had more power over his daughter than Kuroo would ever have.

Once Elleanor was already outside, Kuroo didn’t contain his anger and decided to tell her father one last thing. “Your daughter could be wearing the tiniest dress, with the boldest cleavage, and all the men in the room would still respect her more than any other woman you have ever met.” He wanted to say _all the prostitutes with whom Mr. Kikumoto could have been with,_ but he knew that Elleanor’s father would never let him get in their house again. Chances were that he would call off their wedding. Kuroo couldn't afford to lose Ella like that. He wanted and needed to protect her.

He got out of the house before Mr. Kikumoto could say something else. He found Elleanor looking at the sky. The clouds had covered the sun, creating a cold and melancholic aura that was unable to improve the sad environment that now surrounded them. It was almost ironic. It seemed that even the weather favored that tyrant.

“It seems like I have a good excuse to wear a jacket now.” Elleanor said. She had a sad smile on her face that quickly disappeared when she noticed that she was worrying Kuroo. “Let’s got to the garden!”

They stayed in silence until they got there. Neither of them wanted to talk about what had happened. It was something that, unfortunately, was normal to them, especially for Elleanor.

“Well, now that we are alone you can finally tell me everything about your fantastic adventures in Paris!” Her smile was now a little brighter. It was easier to pretend everything was fine when the conversation was about someone else.

Kuroo hated when she did that. He wanted her to open up to him, but she almost never did. Seeing Elleanor crying was something that almost nobody had seen. Kuroo, Mika and Ella’s mother were the exceptions. Surprisingly enough, she had never cried in front of her father.

“Stop doing that.” He said.

“…Doing what?”

“Pretending to be fine when you are not.”

Elleanor smiled to herself. “…I can take it. It isn’t that hard.” She simply said. She would always say that.

“It would be easier if you let me help you…” Kuroo looked her in the eyes. “…I want to take care of you, you know?” Then, he looked at the ground. If he looked at her any longer, he would probably just confess all his feelings for her. He wouldn’t regret it, but it would only push her away from him. He knew that very well. “I got you another present when I was in France.” He took a small box out of his pocket. “I… lied when I said that I hadn’t bought anything expensive. I hope that you can forgive me.” The smile on his face was slightly bigger when he passed the box to her hands.

“Kuroo… you didn’t need to-”

He interrupted her. “I wanted to.”

That made Elleanor smile. Inside the pretty and delicate box, she found a pretty and delicate bracelet. It was thin and made of gold with tiny rubies shaped like vine leaves. It was so simple yet so beautiful. “Thank you! I love it!” She took it out of the box and put it around her wrist. “I’ll wear it every day! Can you help me?” Kuroo took the ends of the bracelet and made sure that they were in the right place.

“I’m glad that you liked it.” He brushed his thumb against the back of her hand. “I hope that it can make you feel safer when I am not around.” Before letting it go, Kuroo gently kissed her hand.

“Well, I’ve survived seventeen years, didn’t I?” She smiled, shifting her eyes from Kuroo to the bracelet. “…but yes… it will help more than you can imagine.”

They stayed together a little longer. Kuroo told Elleanor everything about his trip: the food that he tried and the insane number of deserts that he wanted Elleanor to try, because he just knew that she would love them. He wasn’t wrong. Not only she would love to try them, she would also love to make them.

He also told her about the places that he visited inside and outside Paris, places that he wanted to take her to one day.

Talking with Kuroo made everything easier. Just talking with him was easy.

However, every time Kuroo talked about the future, Elleanor felt her heart ache. Oikawa’s face would always pop up in her mind, reminding her who was the true possessor of her feelings.

All she wanted was to have something from him. She would be more than happy to receive a single piece of fabric that he had touched. She needed something real to reassure her that it hadn’t been a dream.

Once Elleanor got to her room again and saw a white envelope on top of her desk, her heart felt in peace, as if it was floating among the clouds.

She took the letter and saw the name _Mika Daishou_ written as the sender of the letter, but the calligraphy didn’t fool her. It wasn’t Mika’s.

Which meant that it could only be Oikawa’s.

Elleanor wasn’t surprised. They both knew that he couldn’t write his real name. She would have never received the letter if he had.

She quickly locked the door, so that she could read the letter peacefully.

It seemed like a dream! She had waited all week to receive a letter from him, and now that it was there, she was almost too excited to open it. Was it a love letter? Did he have a plan for them to meet again?

_Did he regret their night together?_

Elleanor doubted that it was the case, but it was a possibility. She was the daughter of the man that he despised the most and he was one of the most desired men in the country… he could easily find someone better than her.

She decided to forget those ideas. She felt stupid for doubting the veracity of his feelings after all that they talked about. She knew very well that she could trust him.

Elleanor opened the envelope slowly, since she didn’t want to rip her, possibly, most precious belonging.

Once she saw the letter, she realised that Oikawa had a quite elegant calligraphy... Did that man have any flaws at all? And not only that, but he was also really eloquent… It was the most beautiful letter she had ever received.

“Dear Lady Elleanor,

This is my first time writing a love letter, so I hope you can forgive me if it doesn’t meet your expectations.

My mind has been filled with thoughts of you and our night together since the day of the ball. There hasn't been a single night that I haven't dreamed of you and I'm not saying this just to sound romantic. I get up and go to sleep always with the memory of your sweet kiss. I have been living only with that wonderful moment that insists on going through my head over and over again.

I am sure I will go crazy if I don't see you soon ... if I don't catch a glimpse of your beautiful hazel eyes fixed on mine... if I don't hear your melodious voice calling my name... if I don't hold you in my arms again…

Perhaps I went crazy already! I am sure that I am not the same since the moment I saw you for the first time and, as incredible as it may seem, I still haven't gotten used to this idea. It was never my belief that it would be possible for someone to fall so deeply and madly in love for a person they’ve only seen once. Whenever I came across with a similar situation in a book, I thought it was unrealistic, illusory and pointless. I know now that I was sadly mistaken.

I am aware that it is too soon to talk about love, but there really isn’t another expression that can describe what I feel for you. It seems vulgar to describe it as mere attraction. I have also come to the conclusion that “like” does not express the full intensity of my feelings either. However, since I do not wish to scare you away, I will simply say that I adore you. I adore you immensely.

That being said, I find myself wishing that, however small that possibility may be, you feel at least half of what I feel for you. No. I feel like half would be asking too much. A fraction would be enough to satisfy my heart.

I write in hope that you will have pity on me and put an end to my misery.

When can I see you again? I will do anything as long as it means that I will be able to see you again.

I look forward to your reply,

Tooru Oikawa”


End file.
